Method for bidirectional data transmission via a packet-oriented network device

ABSTRACT

A telecommunication system for bidirectional data transmission of a data set between a data transmission device and a data reception device via at least one packet-oriented network device, which includes encapsulation of the data set to enable a connection-oriented data transmission of the data set; connection-oriented transmission of the encapsulated data set by means of at least one mobile telephone from the data transmission device to a base station of a mobile telephone network; evaluation of the data encapsulation protocol in the base station for an unpacking of the data set to enable a packet-oriented data transmission of the data set; and packet-oriented transmission of the data set from the base station to the data reception device.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation application of co-pending U.S.patent application Ser. No. 10/181,577. The invention described andclaimed herein is also described in PCT/DE 01/0039, filed on Feb. 2,2001, and DE 100 07 012.4, filed Feb. 16, 2000. This German PatentApplication, whose subject matter is incorporated here by reference,provides a basis for a claim of priority of invention under 35 U.S.C.119 (a)-(d).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a telecommunications for bidirectionaldata transmission of a data set between a data transmission device and adata reception device via at least one packet-oriented network device.

Although applicable to arbitrary telecommunications devices, the presentinvention and the problems fundamental to it will be described here withreference to a radio connection in mobile radio networks.

Fundamentally, there are two different types of data transmission. Oneis connection-switched or -oriented transmission, and the other ispacket-switched or -oriented data transmission.

In connection-oriented data transmission, a permanent connection existsbetween the data transmission device, in particular a modem or a mobilephone, and the data reception device, and the data transfer takes placevia this permanent connection. This connection is made at the beginning,for instance via a mobile radio network, and is terminated again afterthe data transmission has been accomplished.

In packet-oriented data transmission, the data transmission device andthe data reception device are not connected directly to one another viamerely a connection but rather via at least one network, which is usedby a plurality of data transmission devices and data reception devices.The data to be exchanged are combined into packets for a datatransmission and directed via appended address information from the datatransmission device to the data reception device. Data packets fromdifferent data transmission devices and data reception devices can thusbe transmitted via an identical transmission medium. Only so-calledlogical connections exist in this case.

The advantage of the aforementioned connection-oriented datatransmission is that a guaranteed data transmission capacity isavailable to a corresponding user or device at any time.

The advantages of the packet-oriented data transmission, also mentionedabove, are improved data transmission efficiency between the amount ofdata and the data transmission capacity; that is, if the datatransmission capacity is not exhausted by one logical connection, thenthe remaining capacity can be used by other logical connections as well.

Thus voice transmission services are typically made available virtuallyexclusively with the aid of connection-oriented data transmission, whileservices in the field of information technology, such as computerlinking or internet access, utilize packet-oriented data transmission.

The networks known as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), theIntegrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) and the Global System forMobile Communication (GSM) offer connection-oriented services, forinstance for voice transmission, fax transmission, and so forth.

Conversely, a local area network (LAN) and wide area network (WAN) offerpacket-oriented services. These include the network known as GeneralPacket Radio Service (GPRS) as a supplement to the Global System forMobile Communication (GSM); the GPRS makes packet-oriented servicespossible from the service provider, for instance from the internet, to amobile terminal by way of the network operator and a radio connection,for instance.

The problems fundamental to the present invention are above all increating a possibility for direct use of packet-oriented networks by theuser even if one part is switched in connection-oriented fashion.

At present, the following initial attempt exists in the prior art forsolving this problem.

Via connection-oriented services, typically various selection choicesare available, such as a modem connection via the PSTN, which offersaccess to the internet, for instance via a personal computer or laptop,via an internet service provider (ISP), for instance. For the personalcomputer or laptop, in comparison to direct packet-oriented networkconnection, there is no difference, since the data transmission packetscan be transmitted “encapsulated”, that is packed by means of a dataprotocol, via the connection-oriented network. Known protocols for this“encapsulation” of the data transmission packets are for instance thepoint-to-point protocol (PPP) or serial line internet protocol (SLIP).These protocols are allocated by the user to the data packets to betransmitted and are taken from a selection node, for instance at theinternet service provider.

In the above attempt, the fact that the network operators that offerboth packet-oriented and connection-oriented services must make bothnonuniform addressing mechanisms and inefficient data transmissionavailable, since they must transmit packet data in connection-orientedfashion, for instance to the internet service provider (ISP), eventhough packet-oriented switching may under some circumstances bepresent, has proved disadvantageous.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The telecommunications system of the invention has the advantage overthe known attempt at attaining this object that in the internal networkof the corresponding network device, the data to be transmitted aretransmitted solely in packet-oriented fashion.

The concept on which the present invention is based is that thetelecommunications system for bidirectional data transmission of a dataset between a data transmission device and a data reception device viaat least one packet-oriented network device, in whichconnection-oriented switching is done, contains the following steps:

allocation of a data encapsulation protocol to the data set to betransmitted connection-oriented in the data transmission device or anexternal data terminal device that is connected to the data transmissiondevice, for an encapsulation of the data set to enable aconnection-oriented data transmission of the data set;

connection-oriented transmission of the encapsulated data set by meansof at least one telecommunications device from the data transmissiondevice to the packet-oriented network device;

evaluation of the data encapsulation protocol in the packet-orientednetwork device for an unpacking of the data set to enable apacket-oriented data transmission of the data set; and

packet-oriented transmission of the data set from the packet-orientednetwork device to the data reception device.

This offers network operators, as already mentioned above, the advantageof being able to transmit the data in the internal network solely bypacket switching. Thus a uniform addressing mechanism is sufficient.Moreover, because of the packet-oriented data transmission, the datatransmission efficiency is enhanced, because of better utilization ofthe data transmission capacity.

Moreover, the data packets to be transmitted are optimally switched orrouted, if the network device operator and the internet service providerare identical.

Furthermore, purely packet-oriented data transmission via the networkdevice makes various payment models possible. Thus in addition to theconnection time, the amount of data, the number of data packets, paymentdepending on the type or use of the data packets, and so forth, apayment model with the continuous packet mode equivalent can beimagined.

In a preferred refinement, as a connection medium of thetelecommunications device for a transmission of the data set from thedata transmission device to the packet-oriented network device, a mobileradio network is used. Thus the data exchange, for instance between amobile phone and an internet service provider, takes place via a radionetwork.

In a further preferred refinement, the evaluation of the dataencapsulation protocol is performed in a radio network controller (RNC)device of the telecommunications device. This assures that at the veryonset of the network device and continuously over the entire networkdevice, a packet-oriented data transmission takes place. Thus only adata protocol adaptation can be performed by the operator of the networkdevice.

In a further preferred refinement, the evaluation of the dataencapsulation protocol is performed in a base station of thetelecommunications device.

In a further preferred refinement, the telecommunications devicesupports both a connection-oriented and a packet-oriented datatransmission. As a result, the network operator, for instance as afunction of his radio path resources or capacity has the capability oftransmitting the same service in either connection-oriented orpacket-oriented fashion via an air interface.

For instance, in packet-oriented, real-time multimedia services, such asITU-T H.323, in the case of high packet utilization via the airinterface, it could be useful for such a service to shunt or switchdynamically over to the packet mode via a connection-oriented airinterface.

In a further preferred refinement, the data transmission device supportsboth a connection-oriented and a packet-oriented data transmission.

Data terminal devices, in particular a modem or a mobile phone, thatsupport a packet-oriented data transmission are more expensive, becauseof their more-complicated structure. Thus terminal devices lacking anair interface that is capable of handling packets, such as low-end orlow-cost terminals, can have the same performance characteristics asdata terminal devices with an air interface that is capable of handlingpackets. From the standpoint of use, there is no difference here fromthe continuous packet service. However, if, as described above, aswitchover must be made between the two types of transmission, then thedata terminal devices must support both a connection-oriented and apacket-oriented data transmission.

In a further preferred refinement, the external data terminal device isembodied in particular as a personal computer or laptop.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown in the drawings anddescribed in further detail in the ensuing description.

Shown are:

FIG. 1, a block circuit diagram of a network architecture and a protocolstructure for a continuous packet mode in accordance with the prior art;

FIG. 2, a block circuit diagram of a network architecture and a protocolstructure for a continuous packet mode via a connection-oriented airinterface, in one embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 3, a block circuit diagram of a network architecture and a protocolstructure for a continuous combined packet mode via aconnection-oriented or continuously packet-oriented air interface, inone embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In the drawings, the same reference numerals represent identical orfunctionally identical components.

FIG. 2 is a block circuit diagram of the components involved inbidirectional data transmission in one exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention, along with the relevant protocol elements.

In this exemplary embodiment, the data to be transmitted are packed in alaptop 6, or alternatively a personal computer, by means of an internetprotocol (IP) 9 and a point-to-point protocol (PPP) 10; the IP protocol9 is responsible for wireless transporting of the data from the personalcomputer 6 via at least one network to a data reception device 7, or inthe present case via an internet service provider 2 over the internet.The IP protocol 9 is disposed in layer 3 of the OSI reference model.

The PPP protocol 10 is located on layer 2 of the OSI protocol and servesto provide serial data transfer via selective connections. The PPPprotocol 10 in a certain sense packs the data set to be transmitted foran encapsulation thereof, so as to enable data transmission viaconnection-oriented switching. In packet-oriented data transmission,such packing of the data set by means of the PPP protocol 10 isunnecessary. The data encapsulation protocol 10 is allocated in thelaptop 6 to the data set to be transmitted in connection-orientedfashion.

The laptop 6 can be connected via a serial infrared interface (IrDA) 11to a mobile terminal 1, in the present example a mobile phone 1. Viathis infrared interface 11, the encapsulate or packed data set istransmitted from the laptop 6 to the mobile phone 1.

The packed data set passes through further protocol structures in themobile phone 1, such as the radio link control protocol (RLC protocol)14, which controls the logical channels, and the media access controlprotocol (MAC protocol) 15, which represents a sublayer of layer 2 ofthe OSI reference model and regulates access to a transmission medium byvarious strategies. The encapsulated data set is now transmitted fromthe mobile phone 1 via an air interface 12 or mobile radio network inconnection-oriented fashion to a base station 8 (node B) of thetelecommunications service 4. A permanent connection, over which thedata transfer takes place, exists between the mobile phone 1 and thebase station 8, or the network device 3 connected to the base station 8.Thus a certain data transmission capacity is assured at all times.

To make a uniform addressing mechanism possible, the data should not beswitched as packed data in connection-oriented fashion and as unpackeddata in packet-oriented fashion over the network 3 as two differenttransmission modes to an internet service provider (ISP) 2. Accordingly,up to the radio network controller (RNC) 5, a purely connection-orienteddata transmission connection exists, as in the classical voice services.In the present exemplary embodiment of the present invention, all thedata are transmitted via the network device 3 in packet-orientedfashion, as in the packet mode. For this purpose, the data encapsulationprotocol 10, that is, the PPP protocol 10, is already evaluated orterminated in the radio network controller 5 or selectively in the basestation 8 for an unpacking of the packed data set.

The conversion from the connection- to the packet-oriented datatransmission is made in the radio network controller 5 at the transitionto the GPRS tunneling protocol (GTP) 16; GPRS stands for General PacketRadio Service. Thus all the data can be transmitted purely inpacket-oriented fashion over the entire network device 3. In comparisonto conventional packet-oriented data transmission, as shown in FIG. 1,the evaluation of the PPP protocol 10 replaces the packet dataconvergency protocol (PDCP) 13 in the radio network controller 5, whichis necessary for the continuous packet mode.

After that, the unpacked data set is transmitted in packet-orientedfashion from the packet-oriented network device 3 to a target receiver 7by means of an internet service provider (ISP) 2 for a packet network,such as the internet.

FIG. 3 shows a block circuit diagram of the components involved in thedata transmission as well as the applicable protocol structure for acombined packet mode; transmission can be done selectively inconnection- or continuously packet-oriented fashion via the airinterface 12. The individual components here, like the correspondingprotocol elements, have the functions already mentioned above.

Unlike the exemplary embodiment described above, here the internetprotocol is embodied directly in the mobile phone 1. Thus initiating thePPP protocol does not require an external laptop or computer 6. Therequisite PPP protocol element 10 is in fact an integral component ofthe multi-layer protocol stack in the mobile phone 1.

Moreover, in this exemplary embodiment the mobile phone 1 supports bothcontinuous packet data transmission, as shown in FIG. 1 for the priorart, and the packet mode via the connection-oriented air interface 12.

This is shown clearly in FIG. 3 by the joint appearance of the protocolelements in the form of the point-to-point protocol (PPP) 10 and thepacket data convergency protocol (PDCP) 13. This is because on the onehand, for a connection-oriented data transmission of the packed dataset, an encapsulation of the data set to be transmitted by means of thePPP protocol 10 is required, and on the other, for a packet-orienteddata transmission of a data set, the protocol element PDCP 13 isnecessary.

For the user, there is no distinction between these two modes oftransmission, but the network operator has the capability, depending onhis radio path resources or his capacity, of offering or performing thesame service in either connection- or packet-oriented fashion via theair interface 12. Thus in packet-oriented data transmission, forinstance, in the case of high packet utilization or a high data quantityvia the air interface 12, it can be useful to shunt to the packet modevia a connection-oriented air interface, or to switch over between thesetwo modes. For that purpose, both a connection- and a packet-orienteddata transmission must be supported by both the data transmission device1 and the telecommunications device 4.

Although the present invention has been described above in terms of apreferred exemplary embodiment, it is not limited to this but insteadcan be modified in manifold ways.

In particular, instead of the protocol elements of the current type,described in these exemplary embodiments of the present invention,protocol elements with the same functions can also be used.

For example, the encapsulation protocol can also be realized in the formof a serial line internet protocol (SLIP), or the connection can berealized by means of a Bluetooth interface, or a Personal ComputerMemory Card International Association (PCMCIA) connection.

1. A telecommunications system for transmission of a data set between adata transmission device and a data reception device via at least onepacket-oriented network device over which data is transmitted in apacket-oriented manner, the system comprising: a base station of amobile phone network; at least one mobile phone; a connection-orientedtransmission mode for the transmission of the data set from supportedconnection-oriented transmission and packet-oriented transmission modes;a base station, wherein the base station is configured to support both aconnection-oriented data transmission and a packet-oriented datatransmission; data encapsulation protocol, wherein said dataencapsulation protocol is adapted to be allocated to the data set to betransmitted for encapsulation of the data set to enable aconnection-oriented transmission of the data set; an encapsulated dataset, wherein said encapsulated data set is configured forconnection-oriented transmission over an air interface from said atleast one mobile phone to said base station of the mobile phone network;wherein said base station is associated with a radio network controller,said radio network controller being configured to evaluate the dataencapsulation protocol of the encapsulated data set and to unpack saidencapsulated data set to produce an unpacked data set; wherein saidradio network controller is further configured to transmit said unpackeddata set in a packet-oriented transmission to said at least onepacket-oriented network device; and wherein said at least onepacket-oriented network device is configured to transmit said data setin a packet-oriented transmission via a packet network to the datareception device.
 2. The telecommunications system according to claim 1,wherein the base station is configured to support both aconnection-oriented data transmission and a packet-oriented datatransmission.
 3. The telecommunications system according to claim 1,wherein the allocation of the data encapsulation protocol is made in adevice connected to a mobile terminal.
 4. The telecommunications systemaccording to claim 1, wherein the allocation of the data encapsulationprotocol is made in a mobile terminal.
 5. A telecommunications systemfor transmission of a data set between a data transmission device and adata reception device via at least one packet-oriented network deviceover which data is transmitted in a packet-oriented manner, said systemcomprising: a connection-oriented transmission mode for the transmissionof the data set from supported connection-oriented transmission andpacket-oriented transmission modes; a data encapsulation protocoladapted to be allocated to the data set to be transmitted forencapsulation of the data set to enable a connection-orientedtransmission of the data set; an encapsulated data set; a base stationof a mobile phone network; at least one mobile phone, wherein said atleast one mobile phone is configured for a connection-orientedtransmission of the data set over an air interface to the base stationof the mobile phone network, wherein said base station is configured toevaluate the data encapsulation protocol of the encapsulated data setand unpack the encapsulated data set to produce an unpacked data set,said base station further configured for packet-oriented transmission ofthe unpacked data set to said at least one packet-oriented networkdevice; and wherein said at least one packet-oriented network device isconfigured for packet-oriented transmission of the data set from the atleast one packet-oriented network device via a packet network to thedata reception device.
 6. The telecommunications system according toclaim 5, wherein the base station supports both a connection-orienteddata transmission and a packet-oriented data transmission.
 7. Thetelecommunications system according to claim 5, wherein the allocationof the data encapsulation protocol is made in a device connected to amobile terminal.
 8. The telecommunications system according to claim 5,wherein the allocation of the data encapsulation protocol is made in amobile terminal.